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Cal mows down Georgia, opens season 4-0
By Morris Phillips
November 21, 2011
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For 15 minutes on Monday, the step up in competition meant something for the Cal Bears. Over the last 25 minutes, playing a tougher opponent meant very little.
The Bears pulled away from Georgia late in the first half in the CBE Classic semifinals and never looked back in a 70-46 win. For the second time in four years under Coach Mike Montgomery, the Bears have opened a season with four straight wins.
The win means the No. 20 Bears will likely get their first real test on Tuesday against No. 21 Missouri. The Tigers had little trouble with Notre Dame in the first semifinal in Kansas City, winning 87-58.
Cal was led by Harper Kamp with 16 points, but Jorge Gutierrez provided the spark with 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists. The Bulldogs got 10 points from Ken Caldwell-Pope but saw him miss nine of his 13 shots. Georgia led 25-22 late in the first half, but saw Cal finish the half on a 14-0 run and continue the onslaught in the second half.
Georgia figured to give Cal their toughest test to date but according to Montgomery, the young Bulldogs were running similar plays to what Cal runs, which made them easy to frustrate on Cal’s defensive end as the more experienced Bears knew what to expect. Georgia shot just 32 percent from the field for the game which kept them from mounting a comeback in the second half.
While the Bears have enjoyed a fast start the season, the rest of the Pac-12 has not. With Arizona faltering and UCLA struggling mightily, Cal is now the highest rated team in the conference, although the Bears have posted four wins and seen their ranking drop two spots from their pre-season rank at No. 18.
In Missouri, the Bears will see a fast break, full court pressing squad that really hammered the Jerome Randall-led Bears two years ago in their visit to Columbia, Missouri. This Missouri team isn’t nearly as big as those Tigers, but this edition features a talented backcourt that could be the equal of the Bears.
It's a huge challenge," Montgomery said. "There might be some people that play small (in the Pac-12), but they won't have the talent of these guys."
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